As Easy as Pie

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Confucius said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." My journey of fifty pies began with a wild hair, a worthy cookbook, and a wish for sweet success. Eleven months, 25 pounds of flour, 15 pounds of sugar, 12.5 pounds of butter, and 13 quarts of cream later...I am pleased to announce {{{INSERT TRUMPET FANFARE HERE}}}, I can bake a good pie!

Over the past few weeks, I've been pondering what my 50th pie would be. Cream, custard, fruit or nut? Pastry, cookie or cracker crust? With multiple recipes under my proverbial belt coupled with my increased confidence, a worthy grand finale pie could certainly be created. It had to be magnificent, no doubt, and perhaps complex enough to challenge my newfound pie making prowess.

In the end I decided to come full circle, flashing back to 1974 and Miss Miranda's 7th grade home economics class at Watson Junior High. There I made my debut into pie making society, if you will, and fell miserably flat on my face. My dismal pie skills deserved no less than a big fat pie in the face pitched by Miss Miranda herself. I tried to locate her, to inform her that her most inept baking neophyte had redeemed herself. A Google search and a call to my junior high school were fruitless. Miss Miranda, wherever you are, I hope you stumble upon this blog and are deliriously overjoyed that you've inspired a student to pie aplomb, albeit 37 years later.

My 50th pie is a combination of the cream pie recipe variations that Miss Miranda assigned: vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, coconut, and banana crowned in glorious mounds of whipped cream. This pie makes a spectacular presentation when sliced. The multiple cream layers showcase strikingly against the voluminous whipped topping. The flavor combination is beyond luscious. Any two of the flavor components, for instance chocolate and coconut or butterscotch and banana, make a delicious duo. However, all five unify into a harmonious taste quintet. A grand finale pie indeed!

It's hard to believe my resolution to make 50 pies in 2011 to commemorate my 50th year on earth is now officially resolved. It's a bittersweet feeling that lingers on much like its chocolate counterpart, yet I've thoroughly enjoyed every flour-tinged step of the journey. My footsteps were at first tentative with some slips along the way. Forging forward I gained a firmer foothold. Now I stride with sure-footed confidence along the pie path. From that first faltering step taken on January 1 to reaching my final destination of Pie #50 on November 26, I can now do the happy dance.

Thank you, family and friends and esteemed cookbook author and pie impresario Ken Haedrich, for accompanying me on my quest, for bravely taste testing my creations, and for offering excellent tutelage and constructive criticism. 2011 is coming to a close and what is that I see ahead? Why, it's a fork, not the one that has dug into fifty pies but rather a fork in the road that leads into 2012, another year that begs for another resolution. Suggestions, anyone?

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick. Whisk in the half and half and egg yolks. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking virtually nonstop, until the mixture starts to thicken and comes to a low boil, 5-7 minutes. Continue to whisk and heat until quite thick, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla.

Immediately pour the filling into the cooled pie shell. Gently press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the filling, leaving no gaps or air pockets, to prevent a skin from forming. Place in refrigerator while making next layer of filling.

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium heavy saucepan. Whisk in the half and half and egg yolks. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking virtually nonstop, until the mixture starts to thicken and comes to a low boil, 5-7 minutes. Continue to whisk and heat until quite thick, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla, then whisk in the chocolate until smooth and fully melted. Remove pie from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Slowly pour the filling over the vanilla layer. Spread chocolate mixture evenly and replace plastic wrap over the filling again. Place pie in refrigerator while making the next layer.

Mix the brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium heavy saucepan. Whisk in the half and half and egg yolks. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking virtually nonstop, until the mixture starts to thicken and comes to a low boil, 5-7 minutes. Continue to whisk and heat until quite thick, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Remove pie from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Slowly pour the filling over the chocolate layer, spreading evenly. Replace plastic wrap over the filling again. Place pie in refrigerator while making the next layer.

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium heavy saucepan. Whisk in the half and half, egg yolks, and the cream of coconut. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking virtually nonstop, until the mixture starts to thicken and comes to a low boil, 5-7 minutes. Continue to whisk and heat until quite thick, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and extracts. Remove pie from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Slowly pour the filling over the butterscotch layer. Spread evenly and replace plastic wrap over the filling again. Chill for several hours or overnight.

Using a chilled medium-size bowl and chilled beaters, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add confectioner's sugar and continue beating just until stiff. Slice the bananas about 1/4' thick and place all over the pie. Mound the whipped cream over the bananas. Slice and serve. Chill remaining pie in the refrigerator.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Christmas is just around the bend and it's definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas in my neck of the woods. The ski mountain has a good dusting of snow, pine garlands and wreaths are cropping up on business storefronts, and yuletide-loving neighbors have already bedecked their homes in twinkling lights.

I love this time of year not only for the festive sights but for the flavors and scents that are indelibly infused in the holiday. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice are autumn classics that segue perfectly into the Christmas season, but it's peppermint that is perhaps the exclusive scent and flavor of December. It's hard to not be peppered with peppermint during the holidays. Coffee shops feature peppermint mochas, Dairy Queen offers its peppermint blizzard, Coffee Mate sells peppermint creamer, and York markets its famous peppermint patties in festive red and green foil.

Logically, to keep in step with the peppermint theme, a peppermint pie must be included in my pie blog. It didn't take long to find a delicious recipe, one that pairs peppermint and chocolate, a most deliriously delicious combination. The recipe is delightfully simple but make sure to allow for ample chilling time for the filling and the topping. And don't be shy about garnishing with the peppermint candies. The more the merrier!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the Oreo cookies in a ziploc bag and crush with rolling pin to make fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a large bowl. Add the butter and mix well. Add the milk and mix until crumbs clump together when pressed between your fingers. Transfer the crumbs to a 9 inch pie pan, pressing them into the bottom and up the side. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, then place on the center rack of oven and bake for 6 minutes. Cool thoroughly.

In medium microwavable bowl, place chocolate chips, half-and-half and butter. Microwave on high 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring once or twice. Stir in peppermint extract. Beat with electric mixer or whisk until well blended. Refrigerate 45-60 minutes or until thickened.

In small microwavable bowl, place white vanilla baking chips and whipping cream. Microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring once or twice. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about two hours.

In medium bowl, beat vanilla mixture with electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Be careful not to overbeat as mixture will separate. Carefully spoon and spread evenly over chilled chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. Just before serving, garnish pie with peppermint candies. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Eggnog is a traditional holiday beverage in my house. As a child I looked forward to sipping the thick slurry spiced with nutmeg each Christmas season. My parents would make their own adult version called Tom and Jerry, a warm eggnog drink spiked with brandy and rum. Whether trimming the tree, decorating sugar cookies, or hosting a neighborhood open house, eggnog was ever present and indelibly infused into each Christmas memory I have as a child.

I carried on the eggnog tradition after I got married. The Christmas of 1985 (right on the heels of my Thanksgiving pumpkin pie fiasco), I purchased a carton of eggnog to sip while decorating the Christmas tree. Much to my dismay, I discovered that my husband Joe detested eggnog. This did not deter my resolve to make it a holiday standard, however. A few years later, after my firstborn Kara was a toddler, I was delighted that she fell in love with eggnog after her first sip. My son Drew, however, inherited his dad's distaste of it. Oh, well. I'll have to settle for 50% of the family being pro-eggnog.

Kara adores all things Christmas, so much so that every year we launch prematurely into the holiday hoopla by trimming the tree the first weekend of November. Of course, eggnog is the first holiday food purchase of the season. As I write this on November 4, I am anticipating my daughter's upcoming visit this weekend where we will continue the tradition of decking the Coco halls early.

In honor of this tradition, I have baked an eggnog pie. The filling is rich with a dense, creamy texture, almost like a cheesecake. I decided upon a crust made with, of all things, 7-Up soda. I had a recent conversation with a woman who went through life trying to perfect her pie crust. She at last found the 7-up crust recipe that she claimed was her pie salvation. When I found the recipe online, I read a hilarious quote about it. "If your pie crusts tend to look like Frankenstein's monster, this recipe will cure it." Indeed, I discovered my pie crust rolled out easily and didn't shrink, buckle or devolve into a contorted wreck while baking.

This year, a slice of eggnog pie will go along with a mug of eggnog. Perhaps a new tradition has been born!

Cut butter and shortening into 2 3/4 cup flour. Add 7-Up. Mix until flour is moistened through. Add more flour if dough is too sticky. Form dough into two discs. Wrap one well in plastic wrap and freeze for a later use.

On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the pastry into a 12-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert the pastry over a 9-inch pie pan, center, and peel off the paper. Tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and sculpt the edge decoratively over the pan rim. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and line pastry shell with foil and place dried beans or pie weights into foil to prevent pastry from puffing up during baking. Pre-bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove foil, beans or pie weights and then prick the pastry all over the bottom with a fork. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake the pie shell for 10-12 minutes. Watch carefully. If the pie shell starts to puff up, prick the problem spot with a fork. Remove from oven and cool.

In 1-quart saucepan, place 1 cup of the eggnog. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over eggnog; let stand 1 minute to soften. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat; set aside.

In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter and cream cheese with electric mixer on low speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in nutmeg, rum extract, gelatin mixture and remaining 1/2 cup eggnog. Beat on high speed until smooth. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until mixture mounds slightly when stirred.

Pour filling into cooled crust. Refrigerate pie until firm, about 4 hours. To serve, top each serving with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

Mincemeat pie has never wooed me. In fact, it has shooed me. Perhaps it's the integral ingredient of beef suet that keeps me a good distance away. Mincemeat pie begins with good intentions: the delectable medley of fruit, nuts, spices and spirits creates a harmonious combination. Then, like a jolting sour note, beef suet barges into the symphony. Beef suet, in case you want the gory details, is the raw fat typically found around the kidneys. It must be extracted from the bloody connective tissue before use. Sound appetizing?

Sweet pies should woo, not moo.

As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, however, I must include a recipe for mincemeat pie. Mince pie, as it is sometimes called, can be traced back to the 13th century when European crusaders, bearing exotic spices and cooking methods, returned home from the Holy Land. Mincemeat pie has since become a classic pie served at Christmas in many British households.

Hence, a pie with such a longstanding history deserves a spot in my pie-baking quest. As I researched mincemeat pie recipes, I wasn't overly "moooved" at the notion of procuring beef suet, removing the bloody connective tissue, and rendering the fat. Therefore, I settled on a recipe that uses prepared mincemeat which is readily available in the baking aisle of most supermarkets. The brand I found is called "None Such" and is sold in a 27 ounce jar. It contains a combination of apples, raisins, citrus peel, and spices. Appearing near the end of the ingredient list is beef. Tentatively sampling it, fearing that I might be repulsed by it, I was tempted to exclaim, "Where's the beef?" There was absolutely no hint of meaty flavor, much to my relief.

Despite my deep skepticism and trepidation, my mincemeat pie turned out surprisingly well. And although for me, mincemeat will still not woo, at least now I have a clue and I no longer eschew. Who knew?

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the shortening, breaking it into smaller pieces and tossing it with the flour. With the mixer on low speed, blend the shortening into the flour until you have what looks like course, damp meal, with both large and small clumps. Sprinkle on half of the water. Turning the machine on and off, mix briefly on low speed. Add the remaining water in 2 stages, mixing slowly until the dough starts to form large clumps. If you're using a stand mixer, stop periodically to stir the mixture up from the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces. The bottom crust piece should be slightly larger than the other. Place each piece on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the dough, with floured hands, into disks about 3/4 inch thick. Wrap them in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight before rolling.

On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the larger portion of dough into a 12-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert over a 9-inch pie pan, center, and peel off paper. Tuck the pastry into the pan, and let the overhang drape over the edge.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take filling out of refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Stir filling well and pour into bottom pie crust shell. Top with second crust. Top crust may be placed in a lattice design or decorative cut-outs can be made on the top crust.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown.

Remove from oven and cool for about an hour. Serve at room temperature and store pie in refrigerator.

*Make sure to prepare the filling first a day before because it requires an overnight stay in the refrigerator.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

I am a pecan pie purist. I prefer the classic pie made with traditional ingredients and not tainted with chocolate, liquor, coconut or any other kind of distraction. I have sampled such gussied up pecan pies, and although they aren't distasteful, they fail to impress me.

My love affair with pecan pie is a dangerous one. I can't recall my first encounter with this luscious pie, but I do know that I must have been smitten at first bite. I have since learned that I must exercise extreme discipline around pecan pies. The sweet gooey filling encrusted with crunchy nuts and encased in an ultra flaky crust is enough to send me devouring the pie's entirety with reckless abandon. And because the pie is highly caloric, refraining from overindulgence is of utmost importance lest my waistline expand into epic proportions.

Hence, I allow myself to enjoy pecan pie once or twice a year, at Thanksgiving and perhaps once again at Christmas. My Thanksgiving slice has always been at our church potluck. The dessert table is heavily laden with big slices of pies galore: pumpkin, apple, mincemeat, sweet potato, and of course, pecan. I always grab a slice before even hitting the buffet line. A Thanksgiving without a slice of pecan pie is like a Thanksgiving without turkey, at least in my estimation...

...which brings to mind the Thanksgiving potluck of 2006 when (GASP!) no one brought a pecan pie to share. I, along with Marilyn the church secretary, stood next to each other, mouths agape, reeling in a state of disbelief. Marilyn, a pecan pie aficionado herself, commiserated with me. We must have bemoaned loudly enough for some sweet bystander to take notice. Within half an hour, a pecan pie miraculously appeared. The angelic rescuer, bless his or her soul, had zipped over to the grocery store and purchased a pecan pie, thus putting a prompt end to our mourning.

I've chosen a shortbread crust for this recipe. I adjusted Ken Haedrich's recipe by reducing the sugar to better complement the ultra sweet filling which calls for browned butter. Mr. Haedrich claims browning the butter imparts an extra nutty flavor to the pie, giving it more depth and definition. I wholeheartedly concur. This pie nearly brought happy tears to my eyes, and I celebrated my success by indulging in one huge slice, a whole month before Thanksgiving, for heaven's sake!

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, egg, and salt together in a large bowl until well blended. Gradually add the flour until all of it has been added and the mixture comes together into a ball. Add the water and slowly beat it in.

Divide the dough into 3-4 pieces and place into 9-inch pie pan. Press dough evenly across bottom and up side of pan. Place in freezer for 15 minutes while preparing filling. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Using a shiny skillet, so you can easily see what's happening in the pan, melt the butter over medium to medium-high heat. With wooden spoon in hand, stir the butter as you keep a close eye on it, waiting for it to brown. Once that starts to happen, it will go very quickly. Make sure to catch the butter while it is dark golden brown and before it gets too dark and begins to burn. As soon as the butter reaches this point, in 2-4 minutes, pour it into a bowl and let cool slightly.

Combine the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk well to blend. Add the browned butter and whisk again until evenly combined. Stir in the pecans. Pour the filling into the chilled pie shell. Using a fork, gently rake the nuts to distribute them evenly.

Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the filling, including the very center, is set, 25-30 minutes. When done, the pie will have puffed slightly and developed cracks around the perimeter.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool thoroughly. Serve at room temperature, or cover loosely with foil, refrigerate, and serve slightly chilled.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Pumpkin pie provokes a flurry of memories, some of them bitter and some of them sweet. A memory harking back to 1985, one that I recounted in my first blog entry, is a memory that prompted me to embark on this fifty pie quest. That pumpkin pie that I baked as a new bride was an utter disaster and left a lingering bad taste for pie baking

Walking further down memory lane, there was the horrendous pumpkin pie food poisoning episode my little sister and I suffered during one of our mid 1970's family Thanksgivings. We couldn't blame the turkey or the stuffing since everyone had consumed that and weren't afflicted. As I recall, my sis and I pretty much polished off the entire pumpkin pie between the two of us, and although we had never heard of anyone getting poisoned by an innocuous pumpkin pie, we placed the blame there, as if gluttonizing on eight pumpkin pie slices wasn't the cause of our gastrointestinal distress.

A much more pleasant memory I cherish is indulging in pumpkin pie, and several other kinds of pie, at my friend Cindy's home in Havre, Montana. For several Thanksgivings in a row, we made the trip over the river and through the woods and across the blustery Eastern Montana plain to spend the holiday with Cindy and her family. Cindy is a gregarious hostess, an accomplished cook, and pie-baker extraordinaire. Each of those Turkey Days we spent with her, she prepared at least a dozen pies, all from scratch, all of them scrumptious. I should have taken careful notes or at the very least picked Cindy's brain for pie tips and tricks; but in my stupor induced by sampling umpteen slices of her heavenly pies, I was worthless.

Another Thanksgiving is just around the corner and with 44 pies under my belt, I feel confident enough to tackle the pie that was my demise nearly three decades ago. That pie was a spectacular failure of epic proportions, so how befitting that I redeem myself with a recipe titled Spectacular Pumpkin Pie. It borders on the difficult with multiple ingredients and steps, but I've baby-stepped my way to nearly 50 pies. It's about time I ratchet up the difficulty level.

The crust recipe is Ken Haedrich's. He incorporates cake flour into his basic recipe which prevents the crust from shrinking and also ensures an extra tender and flaky texture. The filling, with its layer of crushed gingersnaps and a pecan streusel topping, is a jazzed up version of the pumpkin pie classic.

As I prepared this pie, flashbacks of my past pie debacles haunted me. I fretted that history would repeat itself. But as the pie baked and the heavenly aroma of cinnamon and ginger wafted through the house, my fears lessened. When the pie emerged from the oven, nearly picture perfect, I nearly cried. And after chilling the pie, carefully slicing it, and tentatively taking the first bite, my fears were totally assuaged. I did the happy dance in celebration!

Combine the flours, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and toss with the flour. With the mixer on low speed, blend the butter into the flour until you have what looks like coarse, damp meal, with both large and small clumps. Add the shortening and repeat. turning the mixer on and off, add half of the water and mix briefly on low speed. Add the remaining water, mixing until the dough starts to form large clumps. If you're using a stand mixer, stop periodically to stir the mixture up from the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix.

Test the dough by squeezing some of it between your fingers. Add water, a teaspoon at a time, if the dough seems dry and not packable. Using your hands, pack the dough in a ball. Knead once or twice, then flatten into 3/4-inch thick disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for an hour before rolling.

On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the dough into a 13-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert over a 9 1/2-inch pie pan, center, and peel off paper. Tuck the pastry into the pan, sculpting the overhang into an upstanding ridge. Place in freezer for 15 minutes while preparing the filling. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together crushed gingersnaps and next 3 filling ingredients. Press mixture on a bottom and 1/2-inch up sides of piecrust. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together pumpkin and next 6 ingredients until well blended. Pour into prepared crust. Place pie on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Prepare pecan streusel while pie is baking.

Stir together all ingredients. Remove pie from oven after 30 minutes. Sprinkle streusel around edge of crust. Bake 40-45 minutes or until set, shielding edge with foil during last 25-30 minutes of baking, if necessary. Let cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Dollop each piece of pie with Ginger-Spice Topping and dust with ground cinnamon.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

I have an affection for confections if you haven't already noticed. My sweet tooth loves this time of year when Halloween candy abounds. At the top of my favorite candy list you will find turtles, the decadent melding of soft caramel, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, and toasted pecans.

I've always been curious as to why turtles were named thus. I thought perhaps consuming the chewy candy was a slow process, much like the ambling of a turtle. Try biting into, chewing, and swallowing a turtle candy quickly. It's nearly impossible to do and quite honestly, a shame to even attempt. A turtle begs to be consumed slowly, each nibble savored to the max. As I did some research, I discovered that the candy got its name due to its resemblance to a turtle's body, shell and legs. Nuts peek out from under the domed top of the candy which resemble four turtle legs under a shell. Melted chocolate poured over the top of the candy forms shapes similar to a turtle's head and tail.

In deference to one of my favorite confections, I bring to you Bittersweet Chocolate Turtle Pie. I've paired the luscious filling with a new-fangled cereal crust featuring Rice Krispies. The crunchy, light crust is a perfect complement to the rich pie filling. It's not a terribly difficult recipe and the end result with the multiple layers is lovely. Make sure to serve small slices, as the richness of this pie packs a wallop. Just as in eating a turtle candy, this pie begs to be consumed slowly and deliberately and with great relish. Enjoy!

Gently melt the butter in a medium saucepan. When the butter is nearly melted, add the chocolate chips with the heat at the lowest possible setting. Leave the pan alone for 1 minute, then turn off the heat, swirling the pan so that the butter runs over the chips. Let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, then whisk to smooth. Add the cereal and stir until evenly mixed. Gently press the mixture into the bottom and up the side of a 9 1/2-inch deep dish pie pan. Let cool to room temperature, then place in the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.

Combine the caramels, butter, and water in a medium saucepan over very low heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramels have melted. Whisk well to smooth, then pour over the nuts, covering the pie shell evenly. Refrigerate.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese in a medium-size bowl until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Scrape this mixture over the chilled caramel, smoothing it with a spoon. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Make the topping. Combine the water and chocolate in a small, heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring frequently until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Beat the heavy cream in a large bowl until it holds soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until stiff but not grainy. Add the cooled chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and fold it in until evenly blended. Spread evenly over the pie. Cover with loosely tented foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Slice and serve.